BLUE AND GOLD
LNP on march in Glitter Strip with tourism push but light rail’s a slo-mo
GOLD Coast Federal LNP MPs – all re-elected with boosted majorities – are promising to roll up their sleeves on tourism but refusing to budge on a stalled city light rail extension.
Jubilant LNP Federal foursome (above from left) Stuart Robert, Karen Andrews, Angie Bell and Bert van Manen gathered in visitor hub Surfers Paradise yesterday to celebrate the stunning upset led by Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
But don’t expect support for LNP at city polling booths to translate into extra funding needed for light rail to get to Burleigh.
McPherson MP Ms Andrews said tourism was the “key issue” and promised to focus on visitor nights and high-yield tourists.
Mr Robert said it was up to Labor’s State Government to put tram funding on the table: “It is not good enough for them to whinge before they make their funding commitments.”
City leaders welcomed the overall poll result as positive for the Coast economy.
THEY have been re-elected with increased majorities and now Coast LNP MPs say they are getting down to work, starting with boosting our biggest industry: Tourism.
Saturday’s shock election result delivered a blue sweep of the city’s five federal seats as the Morrison Government was re-elected in a stunning upset.
But don’t expect to see the overwhelming swing to the conservatives translate to extra funding for the stalled third stage of the light rail with the LNP team standing firm in the face of ongoing criticism from business leaders and citylevel political allies.
McPherson MP and science minister Karen Andrews said the incoming government would instead focus on boosting the tourism industry in the face of a slowing global economy.
“Tourism is clearly a key issue here on the Gold Coast. We know that when we have visitors come here we need them to stay for seven to 10 days but we now need to look at how we can attract more conferences and domestic tourists while tapping into the Asian market,” she said. “We need them to stay longer and increase their spend here.”
The Coalition announced in last month’s federal budget it would ramp up funding for Tourism Australia to help preserve the nation’s $136 billion visitor market.
Total funding for Tourism Australia will jump from $170 million to $175 million in 2019-20.
The Budget noted the nation’s market is facing a tough road ahead this year, including:
Slowing global economic growth;
Gross Domestic Product in Australia’s key tourism markets expected to slow “due to uncertainty around Brexit and trade disputes in the US and China”;
TOURISM IS CLEARLY A KEY ISSUE HERE ON THE GOLD COAST .... WE NEED THEM TO STAY LONGER AND INCREASE THEIR SPEND HERE KAREN ANDREWS
Growth in Tourism Australia’s reliable markets is expected to be flat while up-andcoming markets India and Indonesia are set to increase.
Despite this focus, there are no plans to relocate Tourism Australia to the Gold Coast.
The battle over a shortfall in light rail funding dominated the local election campaign.
The Morrison government has committed $112 million to the Broadbeach to Burleigh link late last year. But the State Government and Gold Coast City Council argued it was not enough and have demanded the Federal Government bear more of the cost.
The State Government says it is $157 million short while a frustrated Mayor Tom Tate has called for a compromise of $45 million extra.
State Transport Minister Mark Bailey argued the Federal Government was $157.5 million short of matching its Stage One commitment of 38 per cent of the total costs. For Stage Two, it pledged 22 per cent. So far, the feds have committed 16 per cent of the $709 million needed to build Stage 3A. For Stage One, the State Government provided almost 49 per cent of funding. That rose to 64.3 per cent for Stage Two.
Assistant Treasurer Stuart Robert yesterday refused to budge and told the Bulletin he would demand State Government put its money on the table.
“(The already announced $112 million) is the only money on the table, I haven’t seen any from the State Government so I will be looking carefully in the coming state budget,” he said. “It is not good enough for
them to whinge and complain before they make their own funding commitments.
“I want them to get real about servicing the Gold Coast. We are stumping up and have come through with big swings because we are prepared to deliver for the city.”
Cr Tate refused to accept that the Federal contribution was sufficient, saying he would find a way of securing the funding needed to make the tram extension a reality.
“I will be asking that they are a bit more fair with the funding so I will meet Transport Minister Mark Bailey to get an agreement,” he said, speaking to the Bulletin from China. “We will do this as a team because for me the light rail is the highest priority.
“It is a sound investment, the business case shows this, so why procrastinate when you know it is a good thing.”
THE election is over and we the people of the Gold Coast have made our feelings very clear to not just the ALP but the Greens as well – and not just here alone but in the state of Queensland.
The great American president Edward “Teddy” Roosevelt said to his people to show his resolve “I speak softly but I carry a big stick”, we the majority of Queenslanders have stood by that same belief – unlike protesters we stay quiet but when it is time we use our big stick which is our vote and on Saturday we used that to make sure our message was clear.
We don’t believe in climate change when we have gone through the same cycles of weather all our lives, we don’t want to drive electric cars when it will cost us more in electricity and make our living costs go up, we don’t want to be taxed after we die because we have worked hard all our lives paid our taxes and wish to see our children and our children’s children thrive after we are gone, we don’t class the boss as another class of people because he has worked just as hard as we do to get where he is today.
We have said to the Greens and their protestor supporters to get out of our state and leave us alone, we don’t want to hear you telling us what we should do by our vote.
We told Bill Shorten and the ALP and the unions, we don’t want to be green, there is no such thing as the high end of town, we want jobs not taxes, we want the jobs from the coal mines and any other way we can get work, wages mean nothing without jobs.
I hope our Premier is paying attention to this and realises that she in part was a party to our decision because of the time wasted in getting things done, in failing to make our lives better when travelling, in worrying about a fictitious bird to appease the protesters you need to shore up your vote or stop our city from progressing through constant surveys and consultations that are open to green-aligned protest groups rather than speaking directly to those who say little.
Have no doubt that we have all noted that again, while you thought our attention was distracted, you and your minister for high taxes and procrastination Mark Bailey are putting our registration fees and licences up again on July 1.
Sorry Minister Bailey 2.5% is another big hike, it is above the CPI, and just because you have slugged us 3.5% every year and this time only 2.5% you are not doing us any favors, you are just making our lives harder.
I honestly believe that unless the state government gets going on the light and heavy rail and M1, stops the latest rise in taxes before the 18 months are up before the State Election there will be no second coming for them. Its not what you say any more, it is what we see in our silence.